Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on September 28, 2025, 04:01:45 PM
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Never in doubt.
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Wasn't worried. Ever.
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Well done lads. Great to see confidence returned.
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McGinn phenomenal. Excellent second half. Will do them all the power of good. Cash did well too.
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Lovely a win - hopefully that’s another building block of confidence.
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Season starts from today. We weren't ready before, so none of that counts.
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Second half much better. Buendia made a difference despite my initial skepticism, and Watkins and Rogers took a couple of steps towards rehabilitation. McGinn probably my MotM though.
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That'll do.
2 on the bounce.
An important confidence booster.
Onwards and upwards.
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Fucking hell, it's worrying how much better that feels.
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Lovely stuff. Another couple of wins before the international break and the garden looks a lot rosier.
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Get in. Our league season is up and running.
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A lot of players continued incremental improvement today.
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We've got our Villa back.
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Thoughts and prayers for BC Villan at this difficult time.
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Much better today, first half we were a bit loose and I reckon Unai tightened things up at half time. Second half we were much better and Fulham fell asleep. MOTM was SJM for me, played well, broke up play several times, good passing and lovely goal. We looked solid at the back in the second half, I thought Cash had a good game and Guessand is starting to come to life a bit. Great to have 3 points and players to come back into the fray.
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Much, much better. Put some great passing together, at last. Confidence should rise another notch. Pleased to see Rogers looking more like his old self and I thought Cash was outstanding today, he links with Guessand really well.
Anyway, time for the golf!
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Thank you - season started
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Pau was good again.
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Pau was good again.
Weirdly the Mings injury turned the game for us, we looked much better when Torres was in there.
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Much, much better. Put some great passing together, at last. Confidence should rise another notch. Pleased to see Rogers looking more like his old self and I thought Cash was outstanding today, he links with Guessand really well.
Anyway, time for the golf!
With Maatsen and Sancho down the left, things could get interesting.
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Pau was good again.
Outmuscled and outpaced by Traore on a couple of occasions
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He also out muscled him.
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About time.
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Massive and much needed win. However bad our start has been, we are not that far behind now as a number of our rivlas have also had sluggish starts. All to play for again.
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Pau was good again.
Outmuscled and outpaced by Traore on a couple of occasions
He might a lot quicker and stronger than Pau maybe
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Pau was good again.
Weirdly the Mings injury turned the game for us, we looked much better when Torres was in there.
Mings is a better defender IMO but with Pau, we move the ball much better and that suits our game. He was good today and on Thursday, hoping this is the standard he's set for himself. Played well.
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Still off it but better after 35 mins.
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We've got our Villa back.
Exactly. Every player put a full shift in and some great goals. Second half we were on another level but it was great the way we worked so hard to get there. Biggest difference was the movement and we how collectively pressed.
Can't fault a single player.
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Pau was good again.
Outmuscled and outpaced by Traore on a couple of occasions
He might a lot quicker and stronger than Pua maybe
blimey, hulk would get out muscled and outrun by Traore to be fair. He did bugger all with it though, so all good.
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Adama is quicker and stronger than pretty much every defender on the planet. He has very little end product though.
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Pau was good again.
Outmuscled and outpaced by Traore on a couple of occasions
There's not a player in the league that will outmuscle or outpace Traore.
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Pau was good again.
Weirdly the Mings injury turned the game for us, we looked much better when Torres was in there.
Mings is a better player but with Pau, we move the ball much better and that suits our game. He was good today and on Thursday, hoping this is the standard he's set for himself. Played well.
I don’t think Mings is a better player. He’s a different player, but both at their best Pau is more important to us. Mings is a better physical defender, Pau is better positionally and on the ball.
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Pau was good again.
Weirdly the Mings injury turned the game for us, we looked much better when Torres was in there.
Yup in form - which he hadn’t been for a while - Pau makes a big difference to us. That has been evident in the last two games.
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McGinn phenomenal. Excellent second half. Will do them all the power of good. Cash did well too.
Cash was really good. Bogarde and Bunedia too.
We need lesser ones to turn in performances.
Game changed for us when Torres came on.
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OK Unai.
You've seen what they've got and how they're doing it.
Sort it out in the HT dressing room chit-chat and let's do the job in the 2nd half.
Any other requests?
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Strange game. We looked ropey at 0-1 and Ollie's opportunism for the equaliser came out of the blue.
The old cliché states that just before half time is the best time to score, I've always felt it's just after half-time. Renders the opposition's half-time team-talk and gameplan redundant. We score two in quick succession and it's effectively game-over with nearly 40 minutes to go. It didn't seem we had to work hard for any of our goals and we didn't create too much beyond that.
It also would have been nice to not just sit-back for the last 20 minutes but in fairness we managed it well and the players probably felt it's been way too long since they've had a cushion to protect.
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I think the first decision not to give a pen was spot on - he entirely looks to engage in contact rather than go for the ball.
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That's more like it Villa, it's onwards and upwards now.
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I think the first decision not to give a pen was spot on - he entirely looks to engage in contact rather than go for the ball.
Totally agree. Thought 2nd one we were bloody lucky.
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Pau was good again.
Weirdly the Mings injury turned the game for us, we looked much better when Torres was in there.
Fulham losing Jimenez turned the game, at least for Mings and Torres. Regardless, great team performance.
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Championeeeeees.
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2 wins in a week: can I cope?
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Pau was good again.
Outmuscled and outpaced by Traore on a couple of occasions
Traore can outmuscle and out-pace anyone. That’s what makes his lack of end product so frustrating (if he plays for your team).
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Last week was so shocking shambolic and disgraceful I said it could be a watershed
I then said we would win the next 3 and everyone pissed their pants
Well you’re not pissing your pants now are you (Farage voice)
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Last week was so shocking shambolic and disgraceful I said it could be a watershed
I then said we would win the next 3 and everyone pissed their pants
Well you’re not pissing your pants now are you (Farage voice)
Ha ha that's exactly how I heard it in my head as I read it.
' today was victory for hard working decent people against lies and corruption...
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Brilliant. Thought for a bit that the early season form as a byproduct of a rough summer, but once we got our mojo back we’d be fine. Also: had we not got it back by the middle of next month, it’d be a tall order to with the fixtures we have … but that’s now by-the-by.
We’re back. Not going to get carried away, but I think winning the Europa League and top 4 position is well within our grasp now. :P
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2 wins in a week: can I cope?
Just wait till it's 4 wins in 10 days. You might need a lie-down.
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Stop the gloats.
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Well done to getting your first win of the season, say thanks for giving Watkins his goal in nearly 8 hours, we fell asleep at the start of the second half but you definitely deserved it, didn’t help Jiminez. Getting injured and having Traroe as false 9 lol, it was only a matter of time that you turned it around, I thought King was unlucky to get booked despite what Jamie Rednapp and Les Ferdinand said on sky, I didn’t think it was a penalty but I also didn’t think it was a dive, I would have been disappointed if we had conceded a penalty like that
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Also it’s evident that it’s confidence rather than a lack of effort we’ve seen. Once we scored we just started moving faster, hitting passes harder etc. Look how much Bogarde improved.
That’s good, it shows it’s nothing to do with the manager.
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Cheers, Franky. Fair summary, and good luck for the rest for the season (excl. April 25th).
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
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Aston Villa went on to win a Premier League match by a 2+ margin after conceding the first goal for the first time since October 2024, also a 3-1 victory against Fulham in which Raúl Jiménez opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes and in which Ollie Watkins was on the scoresheet for Villa
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Jimenez is a quality forward.
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The last, and only, time we lost a PL game at home to Fulham Grant Holt scored for us.
W8 D0 L1 in the league since we were promoted, and even the defeat was a good one.
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Was that when they had Felix Magath/Penfold in the dug-out ?
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Much better second half, little EMI made a difference.
Cash solid display.
Roger’s had a good second half.
John McGinn was a deserved MOTM.
Think we are easing back into our playing style and players looking happier.
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Aston Villa went on to win a Premier League match by a 2+ margin after conceding the first goal for the first time since October 2024, also a 3-1 victory against Fulham in which Raúl Jiménez opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes and in which Ollie Watkins was on the scoresheet for Villa
Shades of our win in the corresponding game two years ago during our wonderful autumn, the best since 1995 - November 2023 we beat Fulham 3-1 at home with goals from McGinn and Watkins and a consolation from Jiménez.
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That’s more like it, glimpses of our identity that Unai keeps talking about.
Feels good doesn’t it, a win and a few goals.
McGinn, outstanding. Cash, superb.
Ollie will go in a scoring streak too now.
Happy Sunday and UTV!!!!!
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
Noticed that.Is it a glitch?
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
I'd imagine they are the 'i'm richer than yow' seats which went unsold
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Thoughts and prayers for BC Villan at this difficult time.
The 'Fulham - Good start' thread on SHA aged well.
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A much much needed win. Watkins was going to score eventually, he's too good a forward. Torres in form is vital. Doubts remain whether or not the summer signings will have any impact at all.
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
I'd imagine they are the 'i'm richer than yow' seats which went unsold
I thought that, but just looked on the site for the Burnley match, load in that area unsold but looked to be normal peasant seats.
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Never looks good on the telly box when you see empty blue seats......similar to the away end at Cov on Saturday.
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Only 5 points off 3rd!
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I thought the change after Watkins scored was remarkable….seemed like the hangover after not getting CL may be forgotten…..you can but hope….
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You could see the confidence returning after the third went in, McGinn was excellent today and another fine finish. Buendia coming on made us look more of a threat.
The press can concentrate on another club in the bottom three now instead of negatively banging on about Villa.
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Pretty comfortable all told. I don't think Emi had a save to make.
Quite a few players look like they are climbing back into a semblance of form. John McGinn was magnificent.
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
I'd imagine they are the 'i'm richer than yow' seats which went unsold
I thought that, but just looked on the site for the Burnley match, load in that area unsold but looked to be normal peasant seats.
Aren't they the prison or whatever it's called seats?
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Pretty comfortable all told. I don't think Emi had a save to make.
Quite a few players look like they are climbing back into a semblance of form. John McGinn was magnificent.
Konsa did!
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What would we do without John McGinn?
The man is superb all over the pitch, leading by example and dragging the team with him.
Torres fantastic again when he came on and we do move the ball a lot better when he’s there.
What a difference a goal makes for a player. Watkins off the pace before the goal and then superb and making that goal as well.
I do feel for Rogers, he looks terrified but made a few great passes second half. When he comes out of this bad patch he’ll be even better than he was before.
3 points and 3 goals against a decent team can only lift us. Relieved and happy.
UTV
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That's was more like it! Thought we were OK first half, but then blew them away in a spell early in the second half and won the game. Looked comfortable enough after that.
Still think we've got a bit of a way to go performance wise (hopefully Tielemans will be back and Onana can get himself sorted), but it was much more encouraging today.
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Much improved performance. 1st half wasnt great but 2nd half was more like us. Ollies goal was superb thats gotta win goal of the month surely. Boy did he need that.
Buendia was motm for me. He changed the game. Alot more of that please emi.
Also impressed with guessand. His work rate is superb
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Pretty comfortable all told. I don't think Emi had a save to make.
Quite a few players look like they are climbing back into a semblance of form. John McGinn was magnificent.
Konsa did!
He did what?
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Pretty comfortable all told. I don't think Emi had a save to make.
Quite a few players look like they are climbing back into a semblance of form. John McGinn was magnificent.
Konsa did!
He did what?
Made a save!
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On side note, what's with the empty seats in corner of the North lower / Trinity? 2nd match now this week they have been empty.
I'd imagine they are the 'i'm richer than yow' seats which went unsold
I thought that, but just looked on the site for the Burnley match, load in that area unsold but looked to be normal peasant seats.
Aren't they the prison or whatever it's called seats?
Maybe for some matches (?) but looked like general sale for Burnley.
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Much better. My 2 & 5 year old grandchildren were on a rampage while the game was on but despite the distraction I could see a definite improvement. Onwards and upwards.
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Mcginn plays well, we usually do as well.
Mings going off changed our tempo.
Interesting that when mcginn went off he put the armband on konsa. Maybe some truth in the players were upset with Martinez suggesting he was off?
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Good win, decent performance overall and we looked more like ourselves. Hopefully that will settle us down, it was very much needed.
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Bit by bit, step by step we are improving. It's taking time but we are not as bad as everyone sez, but not as good as we used to be.
It will improve on Thurs and again on Sunday.
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Good win, decent performance overall and we looked more like ourselves. Hopefully that will settle us down, it was very much needed.
Yeah, definitely something to build on there hopefully.
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Impressed with Josh King today - he played well in the first half. He could end up being a top player.
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I actually enjoyed that. It wasn't spectacular, but a country mile ahead of all our other league performances this season. That's two wins on the bounce and it feels like the general atmosphere of listless apathy is starting to lift. The players' body language was massively improved - especially Rogers' and Watkins' - and they all responded well to whatever Emery told them at half time.
Not sure how much of this is linked to Monchi's departure, if any at all, but you could see a difference in attitude.
McGinn was outstanding. What a servant he's been to the Villa. For me, he's up there with some of the most beloved players to have worn the claret and blue.
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Mcginn gave the perfect central midfielder performance today.
He was magnificent from start to finish.
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the players were dead on their feet by the final whistle - which was good to see - lazy bunch :)
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Much improved performance. 1st half wasnt great but 2nd half was more like us.
Shocking stat of the day: We didn't win a single tackle first half. Second half we were all over them, really pressing all over the pitch. Great energy from all.
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Guessand put in a good shift.
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They all looked happy to be Villa players again.
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Had to win and did. Little signs of the side we all know we are. The confidence looked like it was returning a bit. Still a long way off our peak though and had Fulham been a bit more clinical when we were still half asleep for the first 25 mins…. The 2 penalties were correctly not given.
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Haven’t read the thread or seen any highlights as I’m on the train back to London but I think Torres coming in changed our game for the better. Prior to Mings going off we were slow and laboured and playing in front of Fulham.
The timing of Ollie’s goal was massive as it meant we could plan for the second half level terms. I think that was more important than most of us realise. He was a tireless runner second half and the long balls looked dangerous.
. Buendia was busy and more impactful than Elliott and did some hard grunt work too. Special shout out to McGinn who was a leader today, but honorable mentions to Cash and Guessand for their work down the right.
Hope the players can rest now and prepare for a tough trip to Rotterdam.
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A league game after a European game - and we won!!
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A league game after a European game - and we won!!
Four in a row.
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They all looked happy to be Villa players again.
Yes which I think suggests a huge part of this is confidence, rather than bad attitude.
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Well done to getting your first win of the season, say thanks for giving Watkins his goal in nearly 8 hours, we fell asleep at the start of the second half but you definitely deserved it, didn’t help Jiminez. Getting injured and having Traroe as false 9 lol, it was only a matter of time that you turned it around, I thought King was unlucky to get booked despite what Jamie Rednapp and Les Ferdinand said on sky, I didn’t think it was a penalty but I also didn’t think it was a dive, I would have been disappointed if we had conceded a penalty like that
Fair play Franky, as fair as ever
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Yeah hard lucky Franky. Agreed that Jimenez was a big loss for you, hopefully he’s ok soon.